UPDATE 23 April:
Check down at the bottom for more recent updates!
Also, this seminarian posted a video about wartime Vatican City, 1941, narrated by Fulton Sheen.
At this time, there are only 3 views. That will increase. And, when you’ve enjoyed this, make a contribution to his campaign.
___ Originally Published on: Apr 5, 2019
The other day, under another post, I suggested some help for a seminarian in the ICK who has a seminary bill for $20K. Yes, 2 with 4 zeros.
Did you know that priests used to have to pay for their own seminary training? I had to. I worked through seminary and paid it off along the way with very little help from the diocese… except for the permission to work, that is.
Anyway, if we want priests, we had better step up. BONUS: Funny story about this below.
Click HERE
Tell him Fr. Z sent you.
So, a seminarian of the ICK in their seminary in Italy is underwater to the tune of 20K. He started a GoFundMe campaign, but set it only for $5000. I asked help for him and you came through. Then I got this note from him…
I knew it from the very beginning of this campaign and only a “Fr-Z effect” could do anything for my fundraising campaign and good Saint Joseph brought you to me… Thank you Father. I owe this to you. …
Then he described how he was without internet connection for a couple days before he resent his campaign goal to what he truly needs rather than what he, less than optimistically originally set.
Do you suppose we can get this guy to $20K?
His bill…
I know we can. Tens of thousands read here. We can do it.
Click HERE
Tell him Fr. Z sent you.
As of today.
Brick by brick, folks.
And speaking of bricks, here is the funny story I promised about a priest paying back his seminary bill.
After ordination a priest friend of mine started to receive monthly bills for seminary. The problem is that the seminary training was so horrid that he didn’t want to pay for it. They had contracted for a Catholic seminary training and he didn’t get it. Resentment doesn’t begin to describe having to pay for that evil crap. As it turns out, the seminary sent bills with a postage guaranteed labelled envelope. So, he started to send in payments with the enveloped taped to a brick or a concrete block. It cost the seminary so much that they eventually begged him to stop.
That said, I still need a donation of $3000 for our new Tenebrae hearse. Thanks MB!
UPDATE:
A photo of the check he wrote to the ICK… yes, the money is going to its proper destination.
UPDATE 6 April:
UPDATE 9 April:
Half way point. He wrote to me:
The fundraising should reach $10,000 soon but I believe that’s the best we can do for now. I’ll wait a while for Providence to replenish the financial resources of your flock before I revive campaign (like Eliseus and the vessels of oil “And when the vessels were full, she said to her son: Bring me yet a vessel. And he answered: I have no more. And the oil stood”).
Silly boy. Perhaps we should teach him that you can’t give up too quickly.
There are more of you out there.
UPDATE EASTER SUNDAY 2019!
Okay… here we are. How about this…? While you are all on your resurrection and sugar highs, will you give this seminarian a few bucks so he can hit his goal? Also,… let’s get him off this blog, okay? o{];¬) Put him out of his and my misery? How about by the end of Easter Sunday?
Please?
UPDATE 22 April – Easter Monday
UPDATE 23 April 2019:
C’mon, folks? Please? Can we kill this off? Also, he updated his fundraiser image (at long last!).
No, he’s not the one in the center.
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If one does not like GoFundMe there are instructions on how to donate through the ICKSP website and have it go directly to Abbé Ong. It’s quite easy!
I want urge those of a certain age (let’s say over 50—I am 64) to realize what higher education means financially today. It is not what it was in our day.
When I graduated from the Johns Hopkins University in 1976, the tuition was $3000 a year.. Today it is $48,710 a year. I then went to do doctoral work at Berkeley. As an out-of-state student my tuition was $1,200 a year. In-state doctoral students paid just a registration fee of something like $100 year. I was given a $3000 scholarship by the state of California, and I took a $3000 loan to pay my bills. I dropped out and, before entering the Dominican Order, worked in a bookstore for five months to pay off the remainder of that loan.
The modern situation is completely different. The typical applicant to my religious order, since we now require a B.A., has the kind of debt Fr. Z. has described. We are trying to find ways to forgive these debts, but they remain an impediment for all those seeking religious (men or women) or priestly vocations.
Sorry about a mistake in my previous post, the Johns Hopkins tuition is now $53,740. I should have checked.
I’m plainly surprised that seminaries are so expensive for seminarians.
I was a seminarian (dropped out-married now) and my seminary didn’t charge you a dime. Actually, anyone could ask for a financial aid for personal expenses (not a lot of money, but it helped those who needed it).
My family voluntarily paid (“donated”) the equivalent of a monthly tuition on a normal college, but it wasn’t required (actually, it wasn’t even appreciated, as surprising as that may sound).
Guess if you wish to have a proper formal and traditional education, then you have to pay. However, there are many diocesees which won’t charge you a dime. It couldn’t hurt to ask. Of course, if you have a vocation to a certain institute/congregation, well then… God shall provide.
Student debt does impede the pursuit of vocations. The Labouré Society helps those who are committed to test their vocations to pay their debts. They organize into groups and work together to cultivate donors, so they are working for others and not just themselves. The society has helped hundreds of men and women and have an 80% success rate in reaching ordination or final vows. My aspirant made first vows last year at Norcia. Learn more at http://www.labouresociety.org.
Donated. Shared. Praying. Thank you, Fr. Z for the opportunity!
I was a seminarian (dropped out-married now) and my seminary didn’t charge you a dime. Actually, anyone could ask for a financial aid for personal expenses (not a lot of money, but it helped those who needed it).
My friend’s parents had to find his seminary studies by taking out a second mortgage on their house…and that’s a Diocesan Seminary. Fortunately his parents supported his vocation. Good luck if you’re all alone trying to come up with funds, especially if you’re in a parish that expects that you either finish Seminary and are ordained or personally pay back all the donations.
This is so great to see! <3 My little brother is also a seminarian at the ICKSP and looking for donations. Though we are now on fundingmorality. https://fundingmorality.com/project/view/martin.html